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Title: Dynamical signature of fractionalization at a deconfined quantum critical point

Journal Article · · Physical Review. B
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7]
  1. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China). Beijing National Lab. for Condensed Matter Physics and Inst. of Physics
  2. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China). Beijing National Lab. for Condensed Matter Physics and Inst. of Physics; Univ. of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China). School of Physical Sciences
  3. Harvard Univ, Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Physics; Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
  4. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
  5. Harvard Univ, Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Physics
  6. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China). Beijing National Lab. for Condensed Matter Physics and Inst. of Physics; Boston Univ., Boston, MA (United States). Dept. of Physics
  7. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China). Beijing National Lab. for Condensed Matter Physics and Inst. of Physics; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China). CAS Center of Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation and School of Physical Sciences; Songshan Lake Materials Lab., Dongguan, Guangdong (China)
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Deconfined quantum critical points govern continuous quantum phase transitions at which fractionalized (deconfined) degrees of freedom emerge. Here we study dynamical signatures of the fractionalized excitations in a quantum magnet (the easy-plane J-Q model) that realize a deconfined quantum critical point with emergent O(4) symmetry. By means of large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations and stochastic analytic continuation of imaginary-time correlation functions, we obtain the dynamic spin-structure factors in the $S^x$ and $S^z$ channels. In both channels, we observe broad continua that originate from the deconfined excitations. We further identify several distinct spectral features of the deconfined quantum critical point, including the lower edge of the continuum and its form factor on moving through the Brillouin zone. We provide field-theoretical and lattice model calculations that explain the overall shapes of the computed spectra, which highlight the importance of interactions and gauge fluctuations to explain the spectral-weight distribution. We make further comparisons with the conventional Landau O(2) transition in a different quantum magnet, at which no signatures of fractionalization are observed. The distinctive spectral signatures of the deconfined quantum critical point suggest the feasibility of its experimental detection in neutron scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1570229
Journal Information:
Physical Review. B, Vol. 98, Issue 17; ISSN 2469-9950
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 57 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (6)

Fidelity as a probe for a deconfined quantum critical point journal August 2019
Dynamics of compact quantum electrodynamics at large fermion flavor journal August 2019
Fermion-induced quantum critical point in Dirac semimetals: A sign-problem-free quantum Monte Carlo study journal February 2020
Signatures of a Deconfined Phase Transition on the Shastry-Sutherland Lattice: Applications to Quantum Critical SrCu 2 ( BO 3 ) 2 journal November 2019
Emergent Symmetry and Conserved Current at a One Dimensional Incarnation of Deconfined Quantum Critical Point text January 2019
Dynamics of Compact Quantum Electrodynamics at Large Fermion Flavor text January 2019

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